Lawyer and academic Fr Frank Brennan SJ discussed the challenges of recognising human dignity as an Australian value at the Marist Association of St Marcellin Champagnat’s annual Marian lecture.
More than 600 people gathered online and in small groups for the lecture, including participants in Australia, Sri Lanka, Japan, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand.
Marists in Kilmore, Victoria, who gathered for the Marian Lecture (Marist Association).
Fr Frank reflected on the challenges surrounding the issue of human dignity as an Aussie value, especially for young people today given the realities of the war in the Ukraine, the pandemic, economic pressures and climate change. He spoke of these as the big questions that confront young Australians.
“They are the first generation since the Second World War who don’t have the promise that life will be materially better for them than it was for their parents and their grandparents,” Fr Frank said.
He spoke of the challenges of defending human dignity in relation to the issues of Temporary Protections Visas for refugees, and recognition of our First Nations People and their voice as represented in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
“If we are committed to human dignity as an Aussie value we have to be prepared to have the difficult discussions, and we have to be able to see things through the eyes of those who are most on the margins.”
Marist Brothers provincial Br Peter Carroll FMS thanked Fr Brennan for his passion, public advocacy for justice and reconciliation and voice for those on the margins.
This article, published by CathNews was taken from a media release from the Marist Association of St Marcellin Champagnat.